This Cherry Salsa is the perfect celebration of the short summer cherry season. It's quick, fresh, zingy and spicy (if you wish), taking only 15 minutes to throw together. You can serve it with tortilla chips, or your next grilled meal such as chicken.
If you've been around here for any time at all, you'll know that during summer, we're absolute cherry fiends. We just love them! Super fresh and the best summer fruit of all time! We celebrate them in this vibrant and fresh cherry salsa which can be eaten on its own or served with many a dish.
What can be said about cherry salsa? Is there anything more satisfying than chomping on a bowl of glistening red cherries in the morning sunshine? As we've said, we love cherries and those of you who do too need to check out our other cherry recipes. Like this Cherry Almond Polenta Cake or these Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Cherries. Or if you are after breakfast, you definitely need to try our Cherry Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal.
This cherry salsa is the slap in the face your tastebuds need to help you enjoy your summer grilling season even more. Completely versatile and adjustable, so you can cater to all tastes.
We know you'll love this fresh summer salsa so be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe once you've made it! Follow the links below to get to where you need.
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Why you'll love this cherry salsa
Here are some reasons why you need this cherry salsa recipe in your life:
Quick - from start to finish this salsa can easily be whipped up in 10-15 minutes depending on your knife skills. The most laborious (or fun) bit is pitting the cherries.
Seasonal - we could all do with more eating seasonally and this recipe is a great way to do this. Cherry season is pretty short here in the UK so make the most of it wherever you are!
Versatile - we know people have different tastes and preferences, so we give all the options to make this cherry salsa as versatile and crowd pleasing as possible.
Healthy - what could be healthier than a fresh and vibrant bowl of cherry salsa? Lots of nice nutrient dense ingredients to combine with whatever you serve it alongside.
Ingredients
You only need simple ingredients for this cherry salsa recipe, this is what you'll need:
Cherries - We have beautiful large, plump and juicy cherries here in the UK, be sure to use sweet cherries, although sour cherries will definitely put a different spin on this recipe. If you want to get fancy and can find them, try it with rainier cherries instead, or a mixture!
Spice - what's a salsa without a bit of heat? We love the combination of the grassy green heat from a finely chopped jalapeño, it just adds so much flavour!
Herbs - you'll need a handful of both fresh basil and cilantro (coriander) to make this salsa sing even more.
Zing - you've got choices here, we go with lime juice as it combines so well with cherries. You could however use sherry or red wine vinegar instead if you wish.
Customisations
We know you love to mix things up with customisations and substitutions so here are some of our recommendations for this cherry salsa recipe:
Cherries - Whether you get red, black or rainier cherries, all of these options will give you a difference in flavour. This is a fresh salsa, so wouldn't recommend frozen, canned or dried cherries.
Acid - if you don't have a lime to hand, you can simply substitute with sherry or red wine vinegar instead.
Onion - we use shallot, but you could switch it out to use a green onion, sweet onion or red onion if you prefer.
How to make it
Follow these simple step by step guide to success for this cherry salsa recipe:
- Wash, pat dry, de-stem and pit your cherries with a cherry pitter. Then dice them into ⅛-1/4 inch dice without mashing them up. Prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Add all the prepared ingredients into a bowl and stir together. Either serve immediately or prepare 10-15 minutes in advance and allow the flavours to mingle.
Expert tips
Make sure to read and follow these expert tips to ensure complete success with this cherry salsa recipe:
Fresh cherries - using super fresh and firm cherries that aren't going over makes this salsa more flavourful but also easier to pit them without destroying them.
Pitting - if you don't have a cherry pitter, don't despair. You can pit them the exact same way you'd remove the stone from a nectarine or peach. Just be careful not to cut yourself as they are a lot smaller.
Storage - the salsa will store for a few days in the fridge in an air tight container, but we recommend eating when it is freshly made for best texture and flavour.
Juicing - to get the most out of your lime, use a citrus press or a reamer to extract all your lime juice.
What to serve it with
Here are some suggestions to serve this cherry salsa with:
Crackers - these Sourdough Crackers are a great alternative to tortilla chips.
Chicken - Instead of the slaw for these Crispy Chicken Tacos, this salsa would be perfect for a vibrant taco.
Salmon - grill up your salmon fillets or serve it on top of these Salmon Sliders in a salad.
Recipe FAQs
This salsa is best eaten freshly made, it can however be stored for 2-3 days in an air tight container in the fridge and still taste good. Its texture will start to deteriorate though.
We wouldn't recommend using frozen cherries, because as they defrost their texture becomes undesirable. They are not plump and slightly crisp as fresh cherries are, but rather mushy and wet. This is a recipe to make the most of the best in season produce!
Related recipes
Love this cherry salsa recipe? Then you may want more of our side dish recipes - here are some suggestions to get you started:
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📖 Recipe
Cherry Salsa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted and diced cherries, about 12 large cherries
- ½ cup diced shallot, about 1 large shallot
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, coriander
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, deseeded unless you want a good kick of heat
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse, pat dry and de stem then pit your cherries with a pitter. Roughly dice them without mashing them up.1 cup pitted and diced cherries
- Add all the ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together. Enjoy with tortilla chips or grilled meats.½ cup diced shallot, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1 jalapeño, finely chopped, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- You can make this salsa 10-15 minutes in advance to allow the flavours to meld and mingle.
Notes
- The salsa is best made fresh and served soon after making.
- Adjust the amount of chilli for your heat preference.
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